{"id":851,"date":"2020-05-03T22:58:49","date_gmt":"2020-05-03T22:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/?p=851"},"modified":"2020-05-03T23:04:42","modified_gmt":"2020-05-03T23:04:42","slug":"family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/03\/family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Family objects to solar panel farm in ‘front of our house’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Excerpt of Preliminarily Site Plan, PUC Case Number 20-0783-AN<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The relaxed solar siting rules in Norwich have possibly claimed its first casualty. A family whose home is across from the proposed 150 kW solar farm on Turnpike Road recently wrote to the Selectboard to complain. “[We] were shocked to discover the proposed site for this very large installation is directly across Turnpike Road from the front of our house.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past, the Selectboard had the power to step in and exercise some control over site selection on undeveloped land. That is certainly not the case now. The Selectboard abdicated that authority, in adopting the new Town Plan on March 7. See my post: On my Soapbox: new Town Plan excludes community from solar siting decisions<\/a>. There, I wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks for keeping it local,\u201d is a Norwich mantra. Except \u2026 when it comes to the siting of solar panel farms. In that case, the Selectboard and Planning Commission think its okay to punt those decisions to the PUC.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately for the homeowner here, the developer Norwich Technologies says it wants to work with the family. What happens if the developer and homeowner cannot work something out? Or, for instance, if a developer is not as community minded?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, the landowner’s fate lies with the PUC. It is not an easy process to navigate for the layman. In the case of the Turnpike Road solar farm, the Selectboard asked the Norwich Director of Planning and Zoning to explain the PUC process to the homeowner. It’s all the Town can do under the new Town Plan. However, I think residents were better off when the Selectboard had control over the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compare and Contrast<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It is interesting to compare and contrast the developer’s and landowners’ take on the aesthetics of the project. Here is what Norwich Technologies said in its 45-day notice sent to interested parties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

lll. Potential Aesthetic Impacts<\/span>
This array will be a low-profile and temporary installation and will appear similar to other renewable energy solar arrays commonplace in Vermont. It will be set back from Turnpike Road approximately 95 feet with intervening existing vegetation to remain.<\/p>Advanced Notice for Norwich Turnpike Solar, LLC at page 2, included in 4\/22 Selectboard packet<\/a> at page 11.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Of note is the project description as a “temporary installation.” I suppose it is accurate, in that the solar panels and supporting racks can be dismantled and taken away. But, I see ‘temporary’ as a euphemism, downplaying reality. First, panels typically come with a 25-year warranty or performance guarantee<\/a>. In addition, new panels can replace old or obsolete ones. Consequently, solar farms will likely remain in place for generations. If you have information to the contrary on this topic, please let me know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast to the developer’s position is that of the family. Their point of view is very different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please know that every time we open our front door or sit on our front porch or stand in our front yard, we are facing the proposed site.<\/p>

[We] chose to purchase our property and raise our children there because of the beautiful country setting and beautiful views. As Norwich residents, we have paid over $100,000 in property taxes and have been proud of our ability to support the local community and schools. I believe that none of us would want to look out from our windows and doors and stare at a 150kW solar installation.<\/p>Letter to Selectboard from Michael and Amy Staggs, included in 4\/22 Selectboard packet<\/a> at page 42.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The relaxed solar siting rules in Norwich have possibly claimed its first casualty. A family whose home is across from the proposed 150 kW solar farm on Turnpike Road recently wrote to the Selectboard to complain. “[We] were shocked to discover the proposed site for this very large installation is directly across Turnpike Road from the front of our house.” In the past, the Selectboard had the power to step in and exercise some control over site selection on undeveloped Continue reading Family objects to solar panel farm in ‘front of our house’<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,2],"tags":[42],"class_list":["post-851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-solar","category-town-plan","tag-norwich-vt"],"yoast_head":"\nFamily objects to solar panel farm in 'front of our house' - Norwich Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/03\/family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Family objects to solar panel farm in 'front of our house' - Norwich Observer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The relaxed solar siting rules in Norwich have possibly claimed its first casualty. A family whose home is across from the proposed 150 kW solar farm on Turnpike Road recently wrote to the Selectboard to complain. “[We] were shocked to discover the proposed site for this very large installation is directly across Turnpike Road from the front of our house.” In the past, the Selectboard had the power to step in and exercise some control over site selection on undeveloped Continue reading Family objects to solar panel farm in ‘front of our house’→\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/03\/family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Norwich Observer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-03T22:58:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-05-03T23:04:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/1202156831681989onbase-unity_2003044439544606296129336.pdf-1024x823.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CTK\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CTK\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/norwichobserver.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/03\\\/family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/norwichobserver.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/03\\\/family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"CTK\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/norwichobserver.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7c777bca932c48863421eb322d49c18d\"},\"headline\":\"Family objects to solar panel farm in ‘front of our house’\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-03T22:58:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-05-03T23:04:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/norwichobserver.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/03\\\/family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":594,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/norwichobserver.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/03\\\/family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/norwichobserver.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/1202156831681989onbase-unity_2003044439544606296129336.pdf-1024x823.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Norwich VT\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Solar\",\"Town Plan\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/norwichobserver.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/03\\\/family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/norwichobserver.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/03\\\/family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/norwichobserver.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/03\\\/family-objects-to-solar-panel-farm-in-front-of-our-house\\\/\",\"name\":\"Family objects to solar panel farm in 'front of our house' - 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